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Topic Review (Newest First)

11-22-2013 07:27 AM

Cruiser2B

Re: Offshore bluewater cruising - what sailboat would be best?

Quote:

Originally Posted by killarney_sailor

Anyone able to compare the characteristics of the Ericson Alberg 30 and the Whitby Boat Works one? I did know there two Alberg 30s.

I believe the Ericson is 35ft Alberg design

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

11-22-2013 12:56 AM

KristinKay

Re: Offshore bluewater cruising - what sailboat would be best?

I am very new here and joined the forum just to comment on this thread. It is very interesting to read the opinions and discussion on the suitability of a particular cruiser for open ocean sailing. It is also interesting to read how some people may go to _____ and see hardly any boats below 12m in length so they say they would not sail in any of these smaller boats even rafted together.

Open ocean passages are 75% the skipper and only 25% the boat. These days we have more people with money to buy large boats than we have experienced sailors. And they think the bigger boat makes them a bigger sailor.

To select a suitable vessel for long passages on the open ocean where you may be many days from land, please make sure it can safely carry provisions for your crew. I say safely because if you overload your boat or have to stow too many provisions (such as extra fuel in cans) on deck it will adversely affect how your boat will handle in heavy seas. Evaluating a boat for 10 or more days at sea involves firstly making a list of everything you have to carry onboard. If the boat cannot carry all your provisions, with most of the weight below or close to the waterline (especially fresh water and diesel fuel, which are the heaviest of your provisions), then it will not work. You can get away with loading a boat top heavy for coastal sailing or areas like the eastern Caribbean where you can run for shelter within a few hours to wait out some weather. In the open ocean you can't.

Fatigue is the number one problem with extended ocean voyages. Especially in weather. Always remember that and be prepared for it. If you are single-handing your boat be prepared to spend 40-50 hours at the helm sometimes because the autopilot will not safely handle the boat during a long blow - especially if you are sailing downwind with following seas.

Make sure your boat is seaworthy. If your boat is dismasted because of failed rigging, or a sail shreds because it was neglected, or a seacock suddenly springs a leak, or you lose power, or you lose the rudder, or many other critical things - your passage will become more of an adventure than you had planned on. If you are sailing solo rig your boat with jacklines before you leave port and never go out on deck, even in pleasant sailing weather, without your harness clipped to them. If you make one slip and fall overboard you will enjoy total solitude while you watch your boat sail over the horizon. It will not come back and pick you up, and you will be wondering how well your PLB works after about the first 5 or 6 hours.

If you are a sailing couple there will come a time when your partner is not able to crew simultaneous with being caught in a gale. Select a boat that either of you can handle competently. The larger the vessel, the harder the boat is to handle. Do not rely on roller furled main'sl thinking it will make the boat easier to single hand, so you can sail a bigger boat. These are all the rage now. But if you are not able to drop the halyard and puddle the main on the deck in an emergency in the middle of the night, it does not belong out there. I have seen too many times when we have retired to our stateroom on peaceful seas with a 10-12 kt breeze only to be woken up at 0200 with a boat that is grossly over-canvassed in 30-40 kt wind that was not predicted. If you have to climb the mast to pull a jam out of your main'sl, or cut the clew and watch your main be destroyed, it will make your passage much more of an adventure than you probably wanted.

Make sure you have the parts onboard to replace or repair any part of the standing rigging on your boat and carry spare sails. I have seen many yachts over the years that shredded a sail in a storm, did not have a spare, and did not carry enough fuel to make port. I have seen several that were motoring because of failed rigging and no way to repair or replace it. I have seen about a dozen over the years that have been dismasted at sea.

Any of the nice boats in the list in the poll for this thread are capable of making an ocean crossing, competently crewed. Some, like the Cal 20, will have to have skipper only because the boat is not capable of carrying provisions for 10 or more days at sea for two persons.

It is actually much less work and more pleasant making ocean passages than sailing coastal areas. But the difference is that if you are single-handing your boat the hours and fatigue will eventually wear you down. While single-handed ocean crossings can and have been done, it is much more enjoyable if you have a partner. And having a partner means being able to carry provisions for two, which means a bigger boat. If you are unsure, stock your boat, take your partner and try taking a 10-12 day cruise along a coastal area without coming into port and see how it works out. But above all, always remember that it is not the boat that makes the sailor.

10-05-2013 07:08 PM

krisscross

Re: Offshore bluewater cruising - what sailboat would be best?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfloyd4445

are they considered blue water vessels

When they are in truly sea-worthy shape and sailed by experienced crew, they are certainly blue water boats.

10-05-2013 06:23 PM

killarney_sailor

Re: Offshore bluewater cruising - what sailboat would be best?

Anyone able to compare the characteristics of the Ericson Alberg 30 and the Whitby Boat Works one? I did know there two Alberg 30s.

I remember reading about a couple who went out with the plan to spend a year or more just sailing, no destination. I don't think it ended well.....
AND, they had a large boat.

We looked at the wetsnail 28 before we went with the Nor'Sea. We liked the layout in the Nor'Sea better. BOTH would work!

We know what you are saying about “STUFF”! We still have a lot of stuff. Things we just could not part with, like 2 motorcycles, antiques and photos. We had it in one of those pack it yourself portable storage boxes. We paid for the storage by the year and got a good deal. Had to think outside the box to make it happen...

Greg

Makes sense to me. And I agree, I am not fond of the wetsnail layout just there reputation for surviving everything out there. Nor sea?/...never seen one in person got to check em out. Thanks Greg.

For one the bigger the boat the harder to control short handed. Now this is assuming that the vessel is capable of the task she has been assigned, The point being a large bluewater boat is a serious handful single handed in a storm. While I have zero experience with sailboats I do have copious small boat experience up to 42 feet and the bigger they are the more work they are. I have a little less than 18 foot tin boat custom built for me by Wooldridge boats, the people that invented jet outboards, that has proven to be simply amazing. Up until this boat I would under no conditions have ever went offshore in anything under 27 feet. I have used that little guy to cross the bar at Winchester bay and coos bay Oregon many many times in the two years since she was born. I guess if one has the skill, experience, and desire he can beat the odds more often than not....I must admit though size is nice in open water.
Britt

10-03-2013 11:02 AM

Delezynski

Re: Offshore bluewater cruising - what sailboat would be best?

Quote:

Originally Posted by copacabana

Greg and Jill, it's nice to have you aboard here at Sailnet! I've been following your adventures for a while and have enjoyed your videos immensely. Hopefully you'll stick around and offer more of the "small cruiser" perspective.

Cheers!

THANKS for the welcome!

We hope to be here a lot. May be offline for months when we head back out, but connection keeps getting better so that may not take place. And we don't plan on being so "out back" as much as before.

This looks like a nice active group.
Hope I can add as much as I hope to get! With the new trailer we hope to hit a lot of new places to us.

Greg

10-03-2013 08:47 AM

copacabana

Re: Offshore bluewater cruising - what sailboat would be best?

Greg and Jill, it's nice to have you aboard here at Sailnet! I've been following your adventures for a while and have enjoyed your videos immensely. Hopefully you'll stick around and offer more of the "small cruiser" perspective.

Cheers!

10-03-2013 01:34 AM

Delezynski

Re: Offshore bluewater cruising - what sailboat would be best?

Britt,

I thought that might be what you were saying.

I remember reading about a couple who went out with the plan to spend a year or more just sailing, no destination. I don't think it ended well.....
AND, they had a large boat.

We looked at the wetsnail 28 before we went with the Nor'Sea. We liked the layout in the Nor'Sea better. BOTH would work!

We know what you are saying about “STUFF”! We still have a lot of stuff. Things we just could not part with, like 2 motorcycles, antiques and photos. We had it in one of those pack it yourself portable storage boxes. We paid for the storage by the year and got a good deal. Had to think outside the box to make it happen...

Greg

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